Chapter 603: Three New Brooms Sweep Clean

Early in the morning, He Yuzhu got up and took his old man with him to work.

Just as they arrived at the factory gate, they saw Wang Qiang and Li Lin standing there.

As soon as Wang Qiang saw He Yuzhu driving over, he immediately went up to meet him, his face beaming with smiles: "Zhuzi, congratulations!"

Li Lin also crowded over: "Zhuzi, I never imagined in a million years that you would come back to be this Factory Director."

He Yuzhu shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of self-deprecation: "This isn't exactly a good job; who knows, I might be out of office by this time next year."

Wang Qiang waved his hand: "I don't believe that! When Lao Yang was Factory Director, he sat in the office every day, and didn't he serve for many years?"

He Yuzhu laughed: "You talk about the old leader like that, aren't you afraid I'll go report you?"

"I'm telling the truth, and I'd say the same to his face." Wang Qiang was completely unconcerned.

He Yuzhu handed him the keys: "Uncle Wang, help me park the car; I'm going to walk around the factory."

He Daqing also got out of the car, leaned in close to Li Lin, and asked in a low voice: "Do the workers have anything to say about Zhuzi being Factory Director?"

Li Lin smiled and replied: "The people in the Security Department are all quite happy; after all, Zhuzi was an old leader here before. As for the others... there's no reaction."

He Yuzhu walked a large circle around the factory and discovered that in the few years since he left, the factory hadn't changed much. The workshops were still the same workshops, the chimneys were still the same chimneys, only the wall plaster had peeled off a bit more.

When he walked into the office, Party Secretary Xing Guodong was already waiting inside.

"Comrade Xiao He, from today on, the two of us will be working as a team." Xing Guodong came up to meet him and shook his hand, "If there is anything I do that is not thorough, you must be sure to remind me."

He Yuzhu laughed: "Secretary Xing, you are my old leader, and you also know why I was promoted—it is to produce seventy thousand sets of diesel engines and water pumps within one year. If I don't complete this task, I won't be considered qualified, and I won't have the face to continue being this Factory Director."

"Then let us work together." Secretary Xing nodded, his gaze revealing a hint of appreciation.

Soon, the factory office meeting was convened.

Attending were Deputy Factory Director in charge of production Liu Dajun, Chief Engineer Mei Lianhai, Deputy Factory Director in charge of logistics He Daqing, Deputy Factory Director in charge of safety and security Zhao Gang, as well as Steel Smelting Workshop Director Ma Tiezhu, Rolling Workshop Director Guo Dayong... over fifty people sat in a dense crowd. He Yuzhu recognized some, while others were unfamiliar.

He originally didn't want to speak, but he couldn't resist Secretary Xing's repeated requests, so he said a few simple words: "I am an old hand at this factory, so I won't say any polite pleasantries. I will make one demand—starting tomorrow, all production departments will work in three shifts."

As soon as his voice fell, there was silence in the conference room.

Production Deputy Factory Director Liu Dajun frowned: "Factory Director Xiao He, can we delay it a few days? We should at least communicate with the workers."

He Yuzhu shook his head, his tone brooking no doubt: "Those who don't want to work can quit; those who are willing to work will be rewarded. At the same time, starting tomorrow, all frontline employees will have all the white flour steamed buns they can eat."

Secretary Xing coughed and spoke after careful consideration: "Comrade Xiao He, the Farm has indeed provided us with some wheat. But countless clients come knocking to beg for favors, and we are having a hard time coping with it."

He Yuzhu's eyes turned stern: "Everyone still hasn't realized the importance of this task. I tell you, this task is no less than fighting a war. I am now announcing—anyone who wants to come to our Rolling Mill to borrow grain or beg for favors, no matter who they are, will absolutely not be lent any!"

He Daqing couldn't sit still anymore.

He wanted to offer an opinion, but he didn't know how to address his own son—call him Zhuzi? Call him He Yuzhu? Or call him Factory Director He? Finally, he gritted his teeth and spoke up, bracing himself: "Factory Director He, there are some units that, if we don't lend them grain, they won't supply us with goods. We still need to maintain these relationships."

He Yuzhu nodded, his tone softening slightly: "Dad, you list these names for me. I will deal with these people. I emphasize again—starting tomorrow, we are going to fight a hard battle, a major battle to produce seventy thousand sets of diesel engines and water pumps annually."

Deputy Factory Director Liu Dajun spoke again: "Factory Director He, production materials are too tight right now."

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "I understand. From today on, the Procurement Department will vigorously hoard scrap steel, ore, coal, diesel... you can use any means necessary. If you need money, I'll give you money; using grain to trade is also fine."

Seeing He Yuzhu so resolute, Secretary Xing also began to speak, emphasizing the urgency and importance of this task.

Next was the session for departments to ask questions and for He Yuzhu to provide answers.

Everyone present deeply felt that from today on, the Rolling Mill was different. It was going to change, and it was a change that would be a complete transformation.

A group of middle-level Cadres watched He Yuzhu's retreating back as he hurried away, all a bit unsure of this young man's methods.

He Daqing quickly became the target for everyone to befriend, not because they wanted to butter him up, but because they wanted to understand He Yuzhu from the sidelines.

At this time, He Yuzhu had already arrived at the Tractor Branch Factory.

This was the place where he had once struggled, and almost everyone knew him.

He took out a blueprint and handed it to Factory Director Su Maoquan: "Xiao Su, from now on, most of our diesel engines will be produced according to this design."

Su Maoquan held the blueprint and looked at it for a long time, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter: "Factory Director He, this diesel engine... is it too simple? It doesn't even have a water-cooling device? Won't the cylinder explode in the middle of summer?"

He Yuzhu laughed: "Just try it and see. We will produce the old-fashioned ones while testing this one."

Su Maoquan nodded.

At this moment, several Engineers crowded around, vying to look at the blueprint.

Old Engineer Xia Lanjun frowned as he looked. He had never seen such crude equipment.

He Yuzhu pointed to the cylinder block: "This model of diesel engine I have is a single-cylinder, low-power one, specifically for driving water pumps. The rotation speed is not high, so the heat generation is low. See? The cooling fins on the cylinder block are thick and large, and the heat dissipation area is twice that of an ordinary diesel engine. As long as there is wind, it will cool down as soon as the wind blows. Even if it pumps continuously in the fields for eight or nine hours in the summer, the temperature won't rise."

A young Engineer asked: "But besides pumping water, this machine can't be used for anything else."

He Yuzhu nodded: "You're right. But I'm not asking you to make all diesel engines like this, just half of them will do. The diesel engines produced this time basically belong to disaster relief supplies, and their purpose is to be used for water pumps. Don't think about using this kind of thing for a lifetime, or modifying it to put on a tractor."

Several Engineers looked at each other, suddenly enlightened.

Xia Lanjun suddenly praised: "Factory Director He, from this perspective, your design is brilliant. It saves at least a quarter of the materials."

He Yuzhu continued: "Actually, even this design, I still feel it's complicated! I wish I could turn a diesel engine into just over a dozen parts. So that those who have finished junior high school can understand the manual and be able to repair it too."

Xia Lanjun shook his head, "I don't think the parts can be reduced any further."

All the Engineers in the factory gathered together and began to discuss this diesel engine, one word after another.

Xu Damao panicked.

He had just finished arguing with He Yuzhu and had even patted his chest saying the other couldn't control him, but the very next day the man became Factory Director—every time Xu Damao thought about this, a chill ran down his spine.

Originally, he was supposed to go from Beijing to Qinghe in the afternoon, but this time he left early in the morning with his projection equipment, his feet as if greased, heading straight for Zhang Village.

Xie Guafu was in the courtyard washing clothes; when she looked up and saw him, the wooden club in her hand stopped: "Damao, did the sun rise from the west today? Why did you come to the village so early?"

Xu Damao plopped down on a stone stool nearby and let out a long sigh: "Do you know, a brat in our courtyard, only two years older than me, has become the Factory Director of the Rolling Mill."

Xie Guafu was stunned for a moment: "Isn't that a good thing? You two are childhood friends, after all."

"What's good about it!" Xu Damao slapped his thigh, "Just yesterday I was scolding him, acting arrogant, saying he couldn't control me. I've never been afraid of anyone before, but this time... this time I'm really a bit scared."

After hearing this, Xie Guafu wiped her hands on her apron and laughed: "Damao, it's not that I want to lecture you, but you, you're just too narrow-minded."

Xu Damao frowned: "I ran over here wanting you to comfort me, but instead you're mocking me?"

Xie Guafu wasn't annoyed and asked with a smile: "How many people are in your factory?"

Xu Damao replied irritably, "Over thirty thousand, not quite forty thousand."

"Then that settles it," Xie Guafu said while wringing out clothes. "They manage thirty or forty thousand people; how big of a heart would they need to be thinking about you, Xu Damao, every single day? To them, you don't even count as a sesame seed."

Xu Damao was stunned. He pondered it for a moment, and a smile slowly bloomed on his face: "Xie Xiaolan, I have to say, your brain really is different from everyone else's!"

Xie Guafu shook out the clothes and draped them over the line: "Alright, stop thinking about those useless things. What do you want to eat for lunch? I'll make it for you."

Xu Damao waved his hand: "It's broad daylight, forget it. I'll go to the cafeteria with you in a bit to make do with a meal, and we can wrap some wontons to eat tonight."

Xie Xiaolan nodded, a smile on the corners of her mouth, and continued hanging up her clothes.